The David Winton Bell Gallery in the List Art Center opened its doors to the general public Wednesday for the 36th annual student exhibition. The event was jointly organized by the Visual Arts Department Undergraduate Group and the David Winton Bell Gallery. The exhibition includes the work of over 20 students and features works created from various materials, including inkjet print, plaster, thread, wood, silicone and a $2 bill.
Pierie Korostoff ’16 created a work titled “murkyyyy” featuring a collection of photographs taken around Providence and Philadelphia. The photos showcased quotes and scraps of pink-lettered poetry — similar to fractures of a diary found in a harshly urban setting. Displaying sweet notes of introspection on a parking lot wall or an orange traffic cone made for an interesting and uncommon approach to artwork.
Another piece titled “Structural Deformation” by Tia Heywood ’17 was equally striking in its unconventionality. Emilio Vides-Curnen ’19 said its carvings in wooden frames jutted out at the viewer, encouraging him to touch the piece of art. “That goes against the grain of the usual museum and gallery setting,” Vides-Curnen noted.
“Circles,” a short video by Marcus Sudac ’17, told the story of a curious romance between two people in a waiting room. A string of eclectic characters such as a nun and old man come in and out of the waiting room as the two main characters continue to wait. The combination of the music and the deliberate filming pace leave the viewer with a feeling of lightness and buoyancy, mimicking the sensation of treading water.
The exhibition was curated by Jan Howard, chief curator at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, and Clara Lieu, adjunct professor at RISD and an established visual artist. The Visual Arts DUG contacted both Howard and Lieu a few months ago to ask them to take the job.
“Last Tuesday was drop-off, and we had something like 50 different artists submit, a lot of them with two pieces,” said Ivy Brenneman ’16, co-leader of the Visual Arts DUG. “On Wednesday, the judges tried to select pieces that would fit well with each other in order to form a cohesive show.”
Wendy Edwards, professor of visual arts and chair of the department, said the exhibition is one part of an exciting time at Brown for student art, as the Arts Initiative is incorporating art into other creative concentrations, such as Modern Culture and Media, Comparative Literature, English and Theatre Arts and Performance Studies.
A closing reception will be held April 22 at 7 p.m.
